The menu bar of the Bifrost Graph Editor contains various commands and options for editing and viewing graphs.

Create

New Graph

Creates a new graph on a separate tab.

Backdrop

Adds a backdrop to the graph. If nodes are selected, the backdrop surrounds them. Otherwise, the backdrop is created at the center of the graph. See Annotate and organize nodes with sticky notes and backdrops.

Sticky Note

Adds a colored text box that you can use to describe sections of your graph. See Annotate and organize nodes with sticky notes and backdrops.

Watchpoint

Adds a watchpoint on each of the selected connections. See Diagnose and debug graphs.

Publish "compound"

Publishes the selected compound. See Publish compounds.

Publish Graph

Publishes the entire graph so that it can appear in the Bifrost Browser. This command appears only when viewing the top level of the graph in the editor. See Publish effects as graphs.

Edit

Select

• Select Upstream: Selects all nodes that are connected directly or indirectly as inputs to the current selection.
• Select Downstream: Selects all nodes whose inputs are connected directly or indirectly to the current selection.
• Select Upstream and Downstream: Selects all nodes are connected directly or indirectly to the current selection in any way.

Connect Selected Nodes

Connects the first output of the first selected node to the first unconnected input of the second selected node. If more than two nodes are selected, the first output of the second selected node is connected to the first unconnected input of the third selected node, and so on. Existing connections are never replaced.

Make Compound Editable

Imports the definition of a referenced compound into the graph so that the compound can be modified internally.

Explode Compound

Unwraps the selected compound to expose its internal subgraph at the current level of the graph.

Make Compound

Adds a compound to the graph. If nodes are selected, they are included in the compound and their connections to unselected nodes become ports on the compound. See Create and edit compounds.

Convert Graph

Converts between the two types of output from the graph: the default bifrostGraphShape and the older bifShape. See Convert between bifrostGraphShape and bifShape outputs.

Select Graph in Maya

Selects the current graph in the Maya scene.

Pause Graph Execution

Suspends the execution of the graph. This can be useful when editing large graphs that take a long time to compile and execute. See Pause graph compilation and execution.

Reset Feedback State

Clears the current state of feedback ports that have been cached to memory. This resets simulations that have been computed up to the current frame.

Display

Go Into Compound

Displays the internal subgraph of the selected compound in the editing pane.

Go Out Of Compound

Displays the graph at the next higher level.

Collapse Selected/Collapse All

Hides the individual input and output ports of the selected nodes. If no nodes are selected, this affects all nodes instead.

Partially Collapse Selected/Partially Collapse All

Hides the unconnected ports of the selected nodes. If no nodes are selected, this affects all nodes instead.

Expand Selected/Expand All

Shows all ports on the selected nodes. If no nodes are selected, this affects all nodes instead.

Show Nodes Names

Displays the node names instead of parameter values above the selected nodes.

Values appear in italics to distinguish them from names.

Show Node Types

Displays the types of nodes above the node names in the graph.

Auto-Layout Selected/Auto-Layout All

Rearranges the selected nodes based on their connections. If no nodes are selected, this affects all nodes instead.

Show Grid

Displays the grid in the editing pane.

Snap to Grid

Snaps nodes to the grid in the editing pane as you move them.

Options

Connection Style

Select a style for drawing connection lines.

Connect Nodes on Creation

If a node is selected when adding a new node, the output of the selected node gets connected to the input of the new node.

Shift on Connect

Moves upstream nodes when adding a node onto an existing connection. This applies when you select a connection and then press Tab for a new node, as well as when you Alt+drag an existing node onto a connection. It also applies when exploding compounds (making room for the newly visible nodes), and respects backdrops and nearby sticky notes.

Copy Input Connections on Paste

When pasting nodes, they are automatically connected to the same inputs as the originals.

Connect on Drop

When dragging a node onto a connection, it gets inserted between the connected nodes.

Highlight Connections on Selected

The connections on selected nodes are highlighted.

Resumable after Esc. Termination

Allows playback of the current graph to be resumed after pressing the Esc key. To resume, step back one frame and then play the scene forward. This can be convenient when tweaking simulations, or you can leave this off to save memory with heavy simulations. See Terminate a simulation.

Windows

Parameter Editor

Toggles the display of the Parameter Editor.

Information Panel

Displays the Info panel that shows descriptions of nodes as you select them.

Help

Bifrost Help

Opens the Bifrost Help in your Web browser.

Bifrost Tutorials

Searches for Bifrost tutorials on the Area.

Bifrost Sample Graphs

Opens the Bifrost Browser.

Bifrost Community Hub

Opens the Bifrost Community Hub in your Web browser.

About Bifrost

Displays information about the running version of Bifrost.